Pupil Premium

What is the pupil premium?

Pupil premium funding was first introduced by the government in 2011. It represents additional funding that the government provides to schools to support the education for eligible pupils, and it is completely up to the school to determine how the money is spent. 

Pupil premium is not a personal budget for individual pupils, and schools do not have to spend pupil premium so that it solely benefits pupils who meet the funding criteria. It can be used:

• to support other pupils with identified needs, such as those who have or have had a social worker, or who act as a carer
• for whole class interventions which will also benefit non-disadvantaged pupils.

Why does the Government provide a pupil premium?

The government believes that poverty or low income is the single most important factor in predicting a child’s future life chances, with many pupils in low-income families having low attainment by the age of 16. The government believes that the pupil premium is the best way to address these inequalities between children eligible for free school meals (FSM) and their peers by ensuring that funding is used to support the disadvantaged pupils who need it the most.

Who is eligible for the pupil premium?

Free School Meals

The most common reason a pupil receives pupil premium funding is because they are eligible for, or have been eligible in the past 6 years, free school meals.

Service Children

Children of armed service personnel are also eligible. Service children are children and young people from families where one or more parents is currently in the British armed forces. Pupils attract the premium if they meet the following criteria:

• One of their parents is serving in the regular armed forces;
• One of their parents served in the regular armed forces in the last 3 years;
• One of their parents died while serving in the armed forces and the pupil is in receipt of a pension under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme and the War Pensions Scheme.

Looked After Children

Schools will receive a larger premium for each pupil that is currently in the care of a local authority.

Adopted from Care

Schools will also receive a larger premium for each pupil who has left local authority care because of one of the following:

• Adoption;
• Special Guardianship Order;
• Child Arrangements Order;
• Residence Order.

 What should parents/carers do if they want more information?

If you would like to find out more about pupil premium, please contact the Academy or see the latest Government guidance on the following link. Pupil premium: overview - GOV.UK.